Australian Royal Commission hears that 1,006 alleged child sex abusers were covered up by Watchtower

Angus Stewart, Senior Council, at the public hearing into allegations of child sexual abuse by Jehovah’s Witnesses
Angus Stewart, Senior Council, at the public hearing into allegations of child sexual abuse by Jehovah’s Witnesses

Australia’s Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has heard shocking evidence that 1,006 alleged perpetrators of child sex abuse were identified by the organization in Australia going back to 1950, but none were reported to the authorities.

The Commission was launched in 2013 with a broad remit to investigate serial child abuse in institutions, including religious organizations such as the Witnesses and the Catholic Church.

At the opening hearing held today, Angus Stewart, the senior council assisting the commission, described the church as an “insular sect with rules designed to stem the reporting of sexual abuse.”

According to Stewart’s written opening submission, the figure of 1,006 perpetrators was derived directly from Watchtower documents summoned (subpoened) by the Commission…

During the investigation of this case study, Watchtower Australia produced some 5,000 documents pursuant to summonses issued by the Royal Commission on 4 and 28 February 2015. Those documents include 1,006 case files relating to allegations of child sexual abuse made against members of the Jehovah’s Witness Church in Australia since 1950 – each file for a different alleged perpetrator of child sexual abuse.

Stewart’s submission goes on to explain the astonishing findings from analyzing these case files…

Evidence will be put before the Royal Commission that of the 1,006 alleged perpetrators of child sexual abuse identified by the Jehovah’s Witness Church since 1950, not one was reported by the Church to secular authorities. This suggests that it is the practice of the Jehovah’s Witness Church to retain information regarding child sexual abuse offences but not to report allegations of child sexual abuse to the police or other relevant authorities.

As part of the hearing two Witnesses, identified as BCB and BCG, are expected to give testimony that elders discouraged them from reporting their abuse. One of these victims is apparently “riddled with guilt for betraying the Jehovah’s Witness Church.”

The hearings are being streamed live to Australians, and doubtless will cause further humiliation for an organization already under siege for negligence regarding child molestation.

Governing Body member Stephen Lett recently insisted that claims of child abuse mishandling are nothing more than “apostate-driven lies and dishonesties,” but added to courtroom defeats in the United States and Britain, this latest news coming out of Australia suggests otherwise.

1,006 unreported alleged perpetrators since 1950 is an appalling statistic, and if used to extrapolate historic figures around the world, the number of concealed pedophiles could easily number into the tens of thousands.

It will be interesting to see what conclusions are drawn by the Commission, and how this will impact the fate of the organization, not just in Australia, but further afield. Certainly Tony Morris’ recent claim that the Governing Body are “proud” of their reputation concerning child abuse is becoming increasingly preposterous.

One child who suffers unnecessarily due to Watchtower’s negligence on the issue would be a child too many, and yet according to this public hearing, in just one country of many, the pain and trauma of sex abuse has been ignored and covered-up on an unimaginable scale.

 

new-cedars-signature3

 

 

 

 

 

 

Further reading…

Related videos…

176 thoughts on “Australian Royal Commission hears that 1,006 alleged child sex abusers were covered up by Watchtower

    • July 27, 2015 at 10:34 am
      Permalink

      Exactly! They are promoted because they are encouraged to do it behind the scenes. People don’t want to believe it, but they are a huge sex trafficker of children.

    • July 28, 2015 at 3:47 am
      Permalink

      These reports are all over the world. In Poland every major news outlet reported on that, which is pretty big, because they didn’t report previously on Candace Conti’s case.

  • July 27, 2015 at 9:13 am
    Permalink

    I watched the video. So the elder abused many times a girl and he was just removed from his position. Nothing else. His reputation was intact and the congregation was not informed. I know people that have been disfellowshipped for far less for making a single mistake. These people have lived without association with loved ones and severely humiliated.
    And this guys walks away with no discipline.
    And also the watchtower knowing all these cases criticise the catholic church. There are no words to describe them.

    I think this videos should be shared with the same zeal JWs share the catholic churchs child abuse videos and new reports.

    • July 27, 2015 at 10:36 am
      Permalink

      They only made him step down his position of elder so the parents felt like something was done about it. If the parents were okay with it, nothing would have been done.

    • July 27, 2015 at 8:56 pm
      Permalink

      My thought exactly. This guy associates freely and I get disfellowshipped, myself and children robbed of our families forever because I put up a Christmas tree. I can’t even handle the unfair, cruel way that they operate. And the way people just go right along with it. It makes me physically sick.

  • July 27, 2015 at 9:54 am
    Permalink

    The Charity Commissioners in the UK have yet to deliver their report on the Watchtower’s continuing status as a charity. There are several legal cases pending in the US and UK against the Watchtower for protecting paedophiles.

    Will the JWs ever come up with any other script than lies and denial? This, surely, will become increasingly untenable. Even the dutiful JWs who obey the edicts not to visit apostate websites cannot avoid hearing the news on national media.

    Christendom’s sects have come and gone over the centuries. Of the many 19th century Methodist breakaways, for example, only the Salvation Army remains. JWdom, that little Adventist spinoff from the 1870s may soon become but a grubby little footnote in the 2000 year history of Christendom.

    That day cannot come too soon.

  • July 27, 2015 at 10:24 am
    Permalink

    From all that I see that is happening with this religion, it appears that its expiry date is very close or has already passed. Just need someone to pull it out of the back of the refrigerator and throw it away. It will not be missed by me.

    • July 29, 2015 at 6:18 am
      Permalink

      I like your analogy. This religion needs to be discarded for good.

    • July 29, 2015 at 2:11 pm
      Permalink

      That’s right. Rotten to the core. Dissolved as it has just been based on lies.

  • July 27, 2015 at 10:28 am
    Permalink

    I’ve watched all three videos so far, and the sheer incompetence of the elders giving testimony is astonishing, especially the ex CO/DO who clearly has no idea what his own religions policy is and is corrected multiple times by the Judge as to what the elders handbook actually says.

    This is astonishing watching, especially in the moments where the two elders are confronted by the flaws in the way the W/T handles these cases. You can see it dawn in their faces as that practices such as making an victim confront their abuser is a terrible thing to do, but also that they simply cannot say so out-loud for fear of criticising the Organisation. That first elder almost comes very close to admitting it in video 2 after the council skilfully uses questions to illuminate this point to him, but you can see him frantically and shamefacedly back out at the last moment from agreeing that the policy is terribly flawed.

    Gifts in men.

    Yeah.

    Right.

  • July 27, 2015 at 10:31 am
    Permalink

    It’s not that they cover up sex abusers, it’s that they have sex rings with children.

    • July 27, 2015 at 12:58 pm
      Permalink

      @Mama Joy
      Your inflammatory comments are ridiculous and put a dirty mark on an otherwise sensible website discussion about this horrendous situation.
      To insinuate that there are parents who WANT their children to be abused by others within the JWs begs belief as to the type of individual you are.

  • July 27, 2015 at 10:35 am
    Permalink

    I’m in Australia, I was sitting infront of my computer waiting for the live stream yesterday morning. It was a completely damning expose during this first day of hearings. Mr Jackson was one cool, cold and unfeeling pig.
    He suffered degrees of amnesia at times as he tried to slither out of answering questions.
    However, the questioners used the Shepherding book and quoted the societies procedures straight from it.
    At one point the questioners asked him why it was said that….”It was/is important to make the accused feel as comfortable and at ease possible..” (paraphrased)
    The questioner then asked Jackson why there was not one word about making the accuser/victim feel comfortable. He tried to skirt around the answer, but backed into a corner by his own religions “how to” book.
    He was forced to concede that there was no mention of making the accuser feel uncomfortable…..and that it must have made the victim/accuser feel uncomfortable.
    He was massively arrogant. His voice was (to me) sneering. I expected some good old fashioned Theocratic Warfare, but Jackson had no choice but to respond to the queries raised directly from their own book. Either way he was f&(#ed

    • July 27, 2015 at 1:01 pm
      Permalink

      @Emma
      Could you provide the links to the video(s) of the court case please?
      It would be good to have them as a reference and see these shady individuals for myself.
      Thanks.
      AJ

      • July 27, 2015 at 1:11 pm
        Permalink

        Hi Average Joe – I’ve put a playlist of the video footage at the bottom of the article. :)

        • July 27, 2015 at 2:02 pm
          Permalink

          @Cedars
          Doh! And here’s me like a twit scouring t’Internet for the video.
          Thanks and duly seen.

  • July 27, 2015 at 11:04 am
    Permalink

    Hello to all.

    Lloyd, thank you for this article. Watchtower`s continuing refusal to protect children is a crime against humanity. Now is the time to do what must done to protect children in this heinous cult. It has to be a concentrated external campaign. Surely this latest horror story will reverberate around the world. This will cause a chasm of huge proportions in watchtower`s all ready crumbling edifice. This is the endgame long hoped for. Let us hope for the children`s sake that it is indeed the end of this abominable cult.

  • July 27, 2015 at 12:16 pm
    Permalink

    I really really hope this starts an inquiry into the entire JW cult and their harmful practices (worldwide). There is no way they are going to spin this one off as ‘yet another apostate-driven lie’ in the UK, the US, Australia etc. etc. , there is just no way! 1006 is a scary number, but what’s even scarier is how long the potential global list is, as someone else said in the comments, probably 10,000+ . Ugh… sickening!

    • July 27, 2015 at 12:25 pm
      Permalink

      This to me also illustrates the danger this organization poses to the public in general. Do you think these abusers just abused children within the organization ? No way! Neighbors kids were victims you can be sure . Love thy neighbor as yourself? Hardly …

      • July 27, 2015 at 5:25 pm
        Permalink

        And they were basically protected. You don’t think habitual sexual abusers didn’t share this information with other sexual predators. I’m sure these pedophiles flock to Watchtower knowing they could abuse children and get away with it. Think of all the victims who’s statute of limitations has already passed. Think of all the potential suicides. There is blood dripping from the hands of Watchtower on every level. I’m disgusted.

    • July 27, 2015 at 3:08 pm
      Permalink

      Hi “Itfeelsgoodtobefree”

      1006 is a scary number for sure. I see you mentioned the global list possibly being 10,000+ Could I direct you for a moment to an older film from BBC which I was a part of. You can find it on JWStruggle’s channel called Suffer the Little Children. In 2002, the BBC did an expose on the JW’s cover ups of child abuse, the protection policy and even tried to interview Ted Jaracz former governing body member, whom by allegation by a very brave lady, was a sex offender also. Read more at silentlambs.org It is literally shocking how many, but worryingly more so, that a governing body member was a part of this, again allegedly. Both alleged perp and victim have passed on. The number of self confessed pedophiles within the JW ranks 15 years ago, was 23,720. That is self confessed ones, not ones that have been found out. So could you actually imagine the scale of the problem ? How many children have not been believed by their local elders and the appropriate action being taken ? Yep it’s sickening.

      • July 27, 2015 at 3:49 pm
        Permalink

        Yes, I remember that. That poor lady who was then about in her 40’s, passed away not long after that of cancer. She claimed Jaractz, who at the time was a governing body member, abused her and a boy. Unfortunately, she never got to see him prosecuted. She had suffered badly from being disfellowshipped and claimed that she had been homeless as a teenager for sometime. The story would break your heart. Jaractz was allegedly in charge of the list of pedophiles held by the Society. Very sad story.

  • July 27, 2015 at 12:30 pm
    Permalink

    Also, it was VERY interesting to note how both Elders reacted when it was put to them how inappropriate it was to have a vulnerable woman’s allegations of abuse investigated entirely by men. That’s a whole other can of worms just waiting to explode!

  • July 27, 2015 at 3:10 pm
    Permalink

    Watching yesterdays enquiry was absolutely riveting, I couldn’t take my eyes of it. I was amazed at how the Council for the Commission had done his homework. I missed the co’s questioning as I had to go to work & am looking forward to watching the recording.

    The elder that was being questioned was so obviously out of his depth. He looked agitated at times like he wanted to just get up & leave. Witnesses don’t like being challenged & certainly not elders.

    Now they have no one else to blame but themselves. Not apostates, not gays, not even the “evil satanic world”. This was priceless!!!

    At the end of it, the “world” finds this shocking. Witnesses will make excuses. Who has the real empathy?

  • July 27, 2015 at 3:51 pm
    Permalink

    I cant wait to see what happens if they lose there chairty status here in the uk

    • July 27, 2015 at 5:09 pm
      Permalink

      They will just say that it’s proof that the governments are turning on them and that the end is closer then ever.

    • July 27, 2015 at 5:11 pm
      Permalink

      It’s hard to say. Perhaps they would change a few surface policies in order to meet any required stipulations; or, they could claim that,”TGT” has arrived and all members should immediately forfeit all of their belongings and wealth to the organization as they will no longer need it.

      • July 29, 2015 at 7:11 pm
        Permalink

        That would make me ask them why the GB needs it then if no one else does.

  • July 27, 2015 at 5:03 pm
    Permalink

    Abuse heaped upon abuse. First at the hands of the perpetrator,
    then interrogated by elders in a secret court without anyone to
    represent you, and made to confront your attacker.

    It’s four against one ( 3 elders and the perp,) The primary purpose
    is not justice, but to hush things up, damage limitation, to protect
    the image of the venerated org.

    To this end you’ll be guilted by statements about taking Christian
    brothers before worldly courts, and bringing reproach on Jehovah.
    The attacker will have the opportunity to brand you as a liar, or if
    they admit their guilt will imply ( as has happened ) that you are
    culpable also.

    So either way, whether you keep quiet, or go to the police,
    you’ll be made to feel like the sinner.

  • July 27, 2015 at 6:12 pm
    Permalink

    This is disgusting news, yet again!
    Worldwide brotherhood, united against ”worldly” people, who would try to attack them with lies & false accusations… ??
    JW’s appear to be more interested in vindicating Jehovah’s name, than they are in taking an honest look around them. This organization would never stand up to any examination of itself, its rules, or its doctrines.

    Hoe many cases do we have to hear about, before someone actually cares enough to stop these men?
    (I know, JW’s are not as interesting to pop culture, as a reality TV show about Katie Jenner… but these children are helpless victims! No one speaks up, but there are HOW MANY articles about the dress Jennifer Lopez wore for her birthday party??)

    Why is news like this ignored by American media, in the very country that this organization continues to enjoy tax exempt status? It should be broadcast to the public, if only to warn them. Those soft-spoken, well-dressed people, who come knocking on your door on Saturday mornings, are actually representing an organization that lies to them about these crimes against children… the least among them.

    I honestly can not understand why people are not reacting to these revelations about the organization they are serving. Wake up! Witness what is really happening around you!
    (sorry, but i am furious & know that any mention of this to JW family, will only knock my relations with them right off the map again).

    • July 27, 2015 at 9:08 pm
      Permalink

      Me too.

  • July 27, 2015 at 6:20 pm
    Permalink

    They probably fight admitting it because it is so common among them that if they really did anything about it they would lose a huge number of their “spiritually qualified men”

  • July 27, 2015 at 6:43 pm
    Permalink

    How elders try to decieve, lie and make out there poxy scam of a so called relligion isnt falling to bits never fails to amaze me. I asked my father about low attendence at the dc , he said just under 10000 , the real# 9058. Elders will lie to there own kids!

  • July 27, 2015 at 9:50 pm
    Permalink

    Are they required by law to report alleged abuses in Australia?

    • July 27, 2015 at 10:10 pm
      Permalink

      Hi Vivian–Yes, it is Australia Law for religious organizations to report Child Abuse to the Authorities. I really don’t know if there are any words that can even remotely describe just how bad the corruption as taken hold of within WT and the Men who represent them..it’s appalling and shocking beyond belief…it’s just unbelievable. They just don’t seem to have any common sense, at all. I feel so, so bad for these victims and what they’ve gone through…I just can’t come to grips with WT reasoning on concealing the identity of not only Child Molesters, but so many other policies that they currently have in place, like allowing appointed MS/Elders who confess to have committed a serious sin in the past and yet can keep serving in an appointed capacity without so much as lifting 1 single finger against him, or knowingly withholding vital information from a poor sister whose adulterous husband lies to her about the extent of his adultery….they won’t even allow her to sit in on his judicial committee and if they discover that he did lie about it, they’ll just say “we encourage you to talk with your husband”…but they will let the husband sit in on her judicial committee in the event that it’s the sister who commits the adultery. It’s shocking, appalling, disgusting, wicked, evil, we can go on and on. I’m so glad that this is all coming to light–the truth always eventually will come out and it’s obvious, like John Cedars said, that this is simply not Apostate lies. There are also more and more JWs who are seeing through it all too, whose really telling the truth v.s. whose really lying.

      • July 28, 2015 at 6:23 pm
        Permalink

        I just hope they open up their eyes. This may sound the beginning of the death knell for the Watchtower Corporation. I think that is what I will call it from now on. It’s not a society, a church or an organisation. It’s just a plain old corporation with all the hallmarks of one. The greedy and corrupt behavior and lies that are told and hiding the truth for their own benefit which must be to feather their own nest. I think it really shows whose side they are on.

  • July 27, 2015 at 11:11 pm
    Permalink

    I think one of the worst parts of all of this was in The Guardian article, where it mentioned that the elders took into account how spiritual and how “seductive” the victim/accuser was, in evaluating the case. I think that has to be one of the most disgusting things I’ve ever read. We are talking about the sexual molestation of children. The insinuation is that if you didn’t keep up with your Bible reading, or your shorts were a little short, you played some role in being molested. I just did not believe it was possible even for this organization to hold a belief so horrible.

    • July 28, 2015 at 8:55 pm
      Permalink

      I was watching one of the many Marilyn Monroe documentaries and it mentioned how she had been sexually abused. The comment was made back in those days (the 1930s) the victim was blamed for the abuse. My JW mom actually said that a 14 year old girl ‘seduced’ her uncle.
      It seems that as society moves forward The Society stays stuck in time.

  • July 27, 2015 at 11:31 pm
    Permalink

    There has also been claims of an original governing body member named Leo Greenles who molested a 10 year old boy. Once the boy’s parents complained to the rest of the Governing Body, Greenles was asked to step down as a Governing body member and lived out the rest of his life as an elder at a congregation in New Orleans.

    SICK! Isn’t it!

    • July 28, 2015 at 12:38 am
      Permalink

      This is one of the theories as to why the WT are fighting so hard not to release their list of files of reported offenders to the courts, even being prepared to pay millions in penalty judgements to avoid doing so as in the Gonzalo Campos case.

      If the names of Leo Greenles and Theo Jaractz are in those files, and that becomes public knowledge, can you imagine what it would do to the rank and file? To find out that 2 of the GB were child abusers, and that the rest of the GB knowingly covered it up?

      It would make the post 1975 membership slump look like a minor hiccup.

      • July 28, 2015 at 3:00 am
        Permalink

        Hi Coverspiff–Theo Jaractz was accused of child molestation too?!? Now that is news to me…what’s the situation with that case? Who is he accused of abusing/molesting? Yes…it would send shockwaves throughout the JW community if that’s the reason why they don’t want to turn over the pedophile database…and you can bet your bottom dollar that probably has something to do with it.
        I’m sitting here shaking my head in disbelief…there’s just seems to be no end to all of this…it’s just absolutely unbelievable.

    • July 28, 2015 at 2:54 am
      Permalink

      Hey MC Fan–I had heard about that story, but I’m pretty vague on exact details, so I’m not one to comment on things when I don’t have all of the facts correct–that would be a bad way of spreading false information for sure, so I refuse to go there if you know what I mean. So, for the sake of myself, can anyone tell me exactly what happened with the Leo Greenles/child molestation case? To be completely honest with you, I had never even heard of a Governing Body member by that name until I heard of that report, and I was like “Leo who?”. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I heard that his victim later tried to apply for Bethel service and his application was rejected? Did he ever find out why exactly it was not accepted or did he just put “2 and 2” together? What exactly happened in that whole situation? Again, I don’t like making comments on things when I don’t have all the facts straight–so what exactly happened in that case? Thanks for your help/insights.

      • July 28, 2015 at 6:30 pm
        Permalink

        I can’t tell you about him but I can tell you about Theodore Jaractz. He is dead now but he was a head honcho when I was in it. He was accused by a woman in 2002 who was probably in her forties, who claimed he sexually abused her and a boy, who she did not know as she was a child when all this happened. She was going to try and take him to court but she did not have enough evidence for the case. Unfortunately, the poor girl died of cancer in 2003 after revealing her story to Silentlambs which is a site set up in the early 2000’s for victims of child abuse in the JW’s. Anyway, that is that story.

  • July 28, 2015 at 3:01 am
    Permalink

    I wish all of these former JW members and current journalists would all come together and create a huge EXPOSE on JWs. Expose all of the lies, false prophesies, child abuse,child molestation,hypocrisy,adultery,fornication ,homosexuality,depression,suicides,shunning and the thousands off deaths due to the NO BLOOD policy. Put all of these articles,news footage and interviews into one long documentary so a big network like HBO or Showtime can broadcast it to the world, just like the Scientology documentary. Than everyone will be able to see The truth behind this destructive cult. Yes!

    THIER SYSTEM IS CRUMBLING!!

  • July 28, 2015 at 3:13 am
    Permalink

    Hey Mr.Niles,
    Just google Mark Palo,for more info.
    That is the name of the boy who later came out and claimed that Greenles molested him when he was 10 years old.

    You can also Google, RAPED AT BETHEL!!

    • July 28, 2015 at 4:04 am
      Permalink

      I can’t believe that I used to be ‘proud’ and to preach (wasting my time!) about being a Jehovah’s Witness and it was a den of pedophiles!!! It makes me sick!
      I remember Ted Jaracz smugly saying that “we don’t go beyond the things written” whatever that means. I always hated the smug idiots who thought they were so clever. Well let’s see how smug and clever they feel now, after being dragged in front of courts where they belong!

  • July 28, 2015 at 4:54 am
    Permalink

    My Son a JW MS in Queensland and who works for me, had previously denied such a major problem within the organization. So today at work we were listening to radio and the subject of the report came up, so I asked if he had herd about that and he said he saw it on TV last night, but would not comment further.
    So it would seem that the ‘Captured’ members are being informed and thus given some food for thought. I can only hope that this type of factual reality will trigger further analysis of the J-Dubs.

  • July 28, 2015 at 5:33 am
    Permalink

    It’s on CNN today, one of top stories.
    So, it’s international, not to be forgotten so easy.

  • July 28, 2015 at 6:43 am
    Permalink

    I just approached the JW.org booth at the airport in Amarillo Texas. Generally I have my phone boldly putting them on the spot while asking questions that I know they’ll answer incorrectly and then use their answers against them in an effort to make them think a little.

    Today I asked the what would happen if I “googled” Jehovah’s Witnesses.

    Top stories were related to this.

    I showed them to the 2 ladies (at least one of them had the unmistakable, arrogance of an Elder’s wife., and we all know what I’m talking about.)

    She read the headline, made an ugly face like I did something wrong, thrust the phone back at me and said “nothing on the Internet can be trusted”.

    Apparently the defense mechanism is pre-installed on this unit.

    • July 28, 2015 at 1:37 pm
      Permalink

      She said nothing on the Internet can be trusted while she was sitting at a booth promoting JW.org ???

      The GB would have known this case was coming, probably why Mr. Morris just had his we protect children talk on JW.org.

  • July 28, 2015 at 9:30 am
    Permalink

    A number of posters have commented on the embarrassing and clumsy way the JW elders/representatives have presented themselves on these hearings. Totally agree. But I would argue that it would not matter which elder they picked, GB member, Jesus, or God himself, etc. to provide testimony.

    When your position is indefensible it does not matter who presents it. They would all be reading out of the same playbook and would look absurd and immoral, as they should.

  • July 28, 2015 at 9:59 am
    Permalink

    Made the Post too. http://nypost.com/2015/07/27/jehovahs-witnesses-hid-over-1000-sex-abuse-cases/

    As one still associated as a JW with JW friends and family, I’d love to post the article to my FB page. But guess what, you can’t without fear of recrimination or being dragged into the back room. You can only say GOOD things about JW.ORG, you know, since it’s God’s only chosen organization and all. Seriously….

    • July 28, 2015 at 10:28 pm
      Permalink

      I know, right?!! My sister isn’t baptized but we have a huge jw family… She wanted to post it…but didn’t. Funny, they toot their horn all the time about the good reports, but bury their heads in the sand when it’s negative…

      • July 29, 2015 at 7:53 am
        Permalink

        Oh for sure, when its an even slightly positive news article it is reposted with claims of how “even the world can’t deny Jehovah’s Organization”.

        I love that when you google Jehovah’s Witnesses the Sex Scandals are the first thing to come up right after their JW.borg and their wiki page. And all the news articles are related to their covering up of sexual abuse. I love this.

  • July 28, 2015 at 10:09 am
    Permalink

    When I was a kid, our family was friends with another family in the congregation. I think my parents may have studied with them and brought them into the truth, etc. Anyways, at some point his kids and wife accused him of some sort of molestation. The guy was convicted and went to jail. But according to my parents he was wrongfully accused. I wonder how they knew that but the court was convinced otherwise? My dad (an elder) stayed friends with this probable piece of crap in jail, writing letters and what have you. I think the creep even started Bible studies with his fellow inmates. As far as I know he wasn’t disfellowshipped either. I don’t know what became of him but for all I know he’s been released and went back to the congregation to continue like nothing ever happened. I’d like to ask my dad about it. Ask him how he could stay friends with a convicted child molester and yet he won’t even talk to his own daughter because she grew up and decided to peacefully leave the organization. FML.

  • July 28, 2015 at 12:29 pm
    Permalink

    Just Totally Freaking Awesome, of a long over due report from the Honorable Royal Commission courts.

    I viewed the CNN.com video report, and they are reporting, Your elders could face criminal charges – due to Not reporting the sexual abuse – the crime to local police.

    As noted earlier in Cedars report, the Royal Commission investigation will go on for two weeks.

    Yesterday, when I googled “Jehovah’s Witnesses” Google now has this sub category “In The News”
    and you had a report from 1). Newsweek Magz now know as ‘the daily beast’ weird name.
    2). ABC online
    3). CNN
    And today reporting are:
    4). ABC online
    5). Think Progress
    6). Sydney Morning Herald
    7). NY Post
    8). Australian Broadcasting Corp
    9). CNN video – they report Your elders could face criminal charges
    10. NPR
    11). Skynews
    12). The Guardian

    And your seven men will cry out “All lies, all lies, don’t listen to these reports” these are apostates and should you read these reports You Will Be DF’d.

    Someone needs to tell these seven men, all these 12 reports and counting Are Not JW’s – so they Are Not apostates.

    They will employ – Mind Control Tactics – Fear Factor.

    Google headliner sub category ‘In The News”, I quote Cedars, while talking to TPT3, “it must be Jehovah’s hand doing this”.

    Only good can come out of this!!

    Only good can come out of this!

  • July 28, 2015 at 5:01 pm
    Permalink

    The thought has just occurred to me (and I don’t want to incite) that the reason the Watchtower is gathering so much money together is in preparation for a public apology and to compensate the victims of child abuse?
    In my mind that’s exactly what a Christian should and would do.

  • July 28, 2015 at 5:31 pm
    Permalink

    There is no doubt the the scriptures teach a two witness rule. However, considering christs words regarding the handling of a judicial matter it is quite obvious that the witness(s) are there to observe the accused attitude and response to an accusation from an actual eye witness thereby gaining two/three witnesses.
    There is little doubt that the reason Watchtower applies Matthew 18 the way it does is to avoid litigation.

  • July 28, 2015 at 5:45 pm
    Permalink

    I believe the crux of the argument, besides that of mandatory reporting, is the application of the two witness rule. How many children/families have had to sit and suffer in silence for years because of it?
    Perhaps this is one area that deserves more scrutiny.

    • July 29, 2015 at 8:36 am
      Permalink

      Peter, I agree with you. The two witness rule is used to avoid litigation and try to preserve the squeaky clean image of the WTBTS.

      That they choose to ignore Deuteronomy 22:25-27 and demand a little child face their abuser alone speaks volumes of their depravity. God only required one witness for a capital punishment. The WTBTS require at least 2, and even if 2 exist, they do nothing to protect children and stop the abuser!!

      The two witness rule does not “trump” Romans 13. Paul is crystal clear; Christians are in subjection to the superior authorities.

      If an atheist like me can identify a decent response to child abuse from the bible, why can’t so called “brothers of Christ” on the governing body do the same? The distressing fact is that they choose to misuse Deuteronomy 19:15 and Matthew 18 to do absolutely nothing to protect children from paedophiles, or assist victims. Disgusting!

      Peace be with you, Excelsior!

      • July 29, 2015 at 11:33 am
        Permalink

        Excelsior, I think that if JW’s were educated sufficiently regarding the two witness rule and its application, I think that more Jehovah witnesses would be prepared to listern and understand that the Watchtower is wrong and why.

  • July 28, 2015 at 8:51 pm
    Permalink

    This goes out to our sister from Amarillo,Tx manning her post – the trolley cart.

    She said to one of our brothers, “you can’t believe everything you read on the internet”, – seriously?
    Maybe she was implying JW.org.

    Newsflash to our sister from Amarillo, Tx.

    You now have 17 reputable major news outlets reporting on the Honorable Royal Commission Courts, this is No bull s#%t my sister, this is real, its happening and please take notice. This investigation will go on for two weeks. We pray the reporting will only escalate.

    It’s 10:00 pm (CST), so far the 17 reputable major news outlets and counting, they are:

    1). JWSurvey.org
    2). Newsweek Magz also known as ‘the daily beast’
    3). ABC online1
    4). CNN
    5). ABC online2
    6). Think Progress
    7). NY Post
    8). Australian Broadcasting Corp
    9). CNN video – they report Your elders could face criminal charges
    10). NPR
    11). Skynews
    12). The Guardian
    13). The Daily Telegraph
    14). ABC.net.au
    15). Smh.com
    16). News.vice.com
    17). BBC.com

    My sister in Amarillo, Tx please update your expression,
    ” if its on the internet, it Must Be True”.

    It’s time to release the locks of mind control from the brog.

    To all current JWs, (this includes me) please have an intelligent response when ask on the subject matter – don’t act like the seven men in the WT – don’t be a fool.

    It’s time to be Awaken!

  • July 28, 2015 at 10:29 pm
    Permalink

    “We must be oh so careful, lest we bring reproach upon Jehovah.”

    • July 28, 2015 at 11:07 pm
      Permalink

      WHY OH WHY aren’t MORE SISTERS WAKING UP & Seeing this 7 MAN Governing Body as EVIL for allowing 3 Elders(MEN) interrogate young Girls or Boys who are victims of CHILD ABUSE with the MALE ABUSER face to face in the same room asked Questions by UNTRAINED Elders who are Painters,Decorators,Window Cleaners, Electricians,Builders,Etc IT IS UTTER MADNESS & some of these ABUSERS are ELDERS& Ministerial Servants!! HOW OBSCENE to Say these MEN Are APPOINTED by Holy Spirit!!! DISGUSTING!!!

  • July 29, 2015 at 6:42 am
    Permalink

    The money awarded to the plaintiffs over these cases, how are they extracted? How do they force the society to make payments? The multi-million dollar judgements are to be made at once or can they pay them over time? I know the society can appeal it but if the appeal fails how is the money collected?

    Please only answer if you know the answer. If you have no idea or some minimal legal understanding on these proceedings, don’t waste time with silly answers.

    Thanks,

    • July 29, 2015 at 8:42 am
      Permalink

      JW4-EVER,

      Welcome back!

      I hope this doesn’t count as a “silly answer”!

      May I suggest that you telephone your Branch office and ask them? Logically, they should be able to answer your most pertinent question.

      What a pity that you had no words of sympathy for the plaintiffs. They have suffered and yet you have no words for them?

      Peace be with you, Excelsior!

  • July 29, 2015 at 7:09 am
    Permalink

    I remember years ago when the Catholic Church was first under scrutiny for hidden abuses. As a witness, I called on a Catholic man who refused to believe it – ‘Oh, no, not in our Church,’ he said.
    I remember commenting to my door to door companion on how anyone could stay in a religion that did such things!
    Now faced with the facts that the ‘squeaky clean’ Jehovah’s Witnesses have covered over the same disgusting practice – how could anyone condone such by continuing in the ‘faith’?
    The words of Jesus to the Pharisees comes to mind in describing the GB and elders today, ‘you also, outwardly indeed, appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.’
    I hope that the judgement comes true – as for those who are disgusting in their filth .. and all the liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur!
    Surely, the writing is on the wall for JWdom.
    They have been weighed in the balances and have been found deficient!

  • July 29, 2015 at 7:24 am
    Permalink

    I remember years ago when the Catholic Church was first under scrutiny for hidden abuses. As a witness, I called on a Catholic man who refused to believe it – ‘Oh, no, not in our Church,’ he said.
    I remember commenting to my door to door companion on how anyone could stay in a religion that did such things!
    Now faced with the facts that the ‘squeaky clean’ Jehovah’s Witnesses have covered over the same disgusting practice – how could anyone condone such by continuing in the ‘faith’?
    The words of Jesus to the Pharisees comes to mind in describing the GB and elders today, ‘you also, outwardly indeed, appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.’
    Surely, the writing is on the wall for JWdom.
    They have been weighed in the balances and have been found deficient!

  • July 29, 2015 at 7:25 am
    Permalink

    Oops – twice for emphasis!

Comments are closed.